Review for The Vineyards of Champagne by Juliet Blackwell

The Vineyards of Champagne

by 

Juliet Blackwell 

 publication: January 21st 2020 by Berkley

Beneath the cover of France's most exquisite vineyards, a city of women defy an army during World War I, from the New York Times bestselling author of The Lost Carousel of Provence....

Deep within the labyrinth of caves that lie below the lush, rolling vineyards of the Champagne region, an underground city of women and children hums with life. Forced to take shelter from the unrelenting onslaught of German shellfire above, the bravest among them venture out to pluck sweet grapes for the harvest. But wine is not the only secret preserved in the cool, dark cellars...

In present day, Rosalyn travels to Champagne to select vintages for her Napa-based employer. Rosalyn doesn't much care for champagne--or France, for that matter. Since the untimely death of her young husband, Rosalyn finds it a challenge to enjoy anything at all. But as she reads through a precious cache of WWI letters and retraces the lives lived in the limestone tunnels, Rosalyn will unravel a mystery hidden for decades...and find a way to savor her own life again, inspired by the hope and defiance of the women who toiled to bring in the grape harvest during the war.

My Thoughts…

I have always thought WWII was my time but I am coming to realize that WWI was just as intriguing. I love hearing about the history of a place that has always been known for its amazing champagne but has so much more history to learn about.     

The letters that were read in the present time bring to light a history story that you would never find in a classroom and makes the WWI era so much more real.   The art of writing letters is lost to many with all the present technology but in the time of war that was the only way to send messages of love and support to those who were fighting.  I love that people stepped up and wrote to the soldiers that they didn’t even know, it proved that humanity was strong even when the world was at war.     Love could withstand anything, friendships were formed, and unfortunately, friendships were lost but most of all people cared, they wanted to help in even the smallest way and were willing to do whatever they could to support the soldiers in their times of need.  

The present story of Rosalyn was just as important.  She was grieving the loss of her husband, working a job that she didn’t love, and traveling to a place that she didn’t enjoy.   In France, she found new friendships, discovered that she did like champagne, and learned that she could be happy again.    She also helped a new friend solve the mystery of her ancestry.   Rosalyn put herself in positions that were uncomfortable and learned that a little discomfort can have great results.   I was excited to see her grow and open her heart up to new friendships. 

The Vineyards of Champagne is an amazing historical fiction book with the dual timelines, the wonderful settings, and the amazing characters it is a must-read.    

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Cover Reveal for The Day He Went Away by Jennifer Millikin

Today we are revealing a brand new cover for a contemporary title by Jennifer Millikin. 

THE DAY HE WENT AWAY is a standalone novel, and you can read it for FREE in Kindle Unlimited. 

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The Day He Went Away by Jennifer Millikin

Contemporary Romance

Read it for FREE in Kindle Unlimited: https://amzn.to/37kVwLZ

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Book Blurb:

Life was roses. I was happy. I had my dream job. I’d finally fallen in love with the man who’d been waiting for me since he was a boy. Soon his four years in the Army would be over, and we’d be together forever. My perfect life was squarely in my palm. And then it was snatched from me. The harshest, cruelest truth became my reality. And I turned into a shell of my former self. Then a stranger arrived, wearing Army fatigues and closely cropped dark hair. Fulfilling a promise to his comrade-in-arms brought him to my front door. And the focus of his promise, it turned out, was me. His mission was simple: Care for me. Heal me. Bring me back to life. But what started out as an uncomplicated mission is quickly turning personal. He came here to take care of me. But neither of us expected how much he’d need me, too. And we definitely didn't expect these feelings. My broken heart knows how wrong it is. We’ll fight it, harder than we’ve ever fought anything. But I’m afraid to win, and I’m even more terrified to lose. Of all his missions, I may be his most dangerous.

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AUTHOR INFORMATION:

  Jennifer Millikin is a contemporary fiction author of five full-length novels and a contributor for Scottsdale Moms Blog. When she isn't writing she can be found cooking, hiking, or in downward dog.

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Cover Reveal for All Geek To Me by Allie York

Cover Reveal for ALL GEEK TO ME by 
Allie York

Join us in this super nerdy cover reveal of Allie York’s upcoming release, ALL GEEK TO ME. Welcome to Words for Nerds, the best comic book shop in the south, an upcoming must-read series. Scroll for a look at the cover and don’t forget to add this single dad romance to your Goodreads shelf!

I, Noralee Reynolds, lead the ultimate nerd life. I own a comic shop, have a great group of geeky friends to work with and wear a different cosplay every day. Since inheriting the family business I’ve had no time for a personal life of my own. Even if hosting a speed dating event makes me wish otherwise.

I, Wyatt Collins, lead a hectic life. As a single dad, I've only got time for two things - raising my son and being a cop. I wasn't looking to cuff myself to anyone. Then I crossed paths with a nerdy comic shop owner who made me think twice.

Things are great until a little self-doubt has Noralee wanting to run away.

Can Wyatt convince her that he can be her real-life superhero?

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About Allie

Allie is a mom, wife, and dog groomer by day. At night she is posted at her laptop writing or reading in a cozy corner. She has a soft spot for gooey romance,  coffee, and anything cute and furry

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This release event is hosted by Forever Write PR. For more details,

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Release Blitz for Reign & Ruin by J.D Evans with a Giveaway

Today we have the release day blitz of J.D. Evans’ Reign & Ruin, the first in her MAGES OF THE WHEEL Series! Check out the release and be sure to grab your copy today!

Title: Reign & Ruin

Series: Mages of the Wheel, Book 1

Author: J.D. Evans

Genre: Epic Fantasy

About Reign & Ruin:

“All magic is beautiful,” she said, “and terrible. Do you not see the beauty in yours, or the terror in mine? You can stop a heart, and I can stop your breath.”   She is heir to a Sultanate that once ruled the world. He is an unwanted prince with the power to destroy.   She is order and intellect, a woman fit to rule in a man's place. He is chaos and violence and will stop at nothing to protect his people.   His magic answers hers with shadow for light. They need each other, but the cost of balance may be too high a price. Magic is dying and the only way to save it is to enlist mages who wield the forbidden power of death, mages cast out centuries ago in a brutal and bloody war.   Now, a new war is coming. Science and machines to replace magic and old religion.   They must find a way to save their people from annihilation and balance the sacred Wheel—but first, they will have to balance their own forbidden passion. His peace for her tempest, his restlessness for her calm…   Night and day, dusk and dawn, the end, and the beginning.

 

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Exclusive Excerpt:

“It’s subtle,” he said, “but I get the sense I’ve upset you.” His midnight eyes were bright and wild with energy from his fighting, his face flushed, his breath still quick. He was close enough to touch, and she clasped her hands in front of her. That was the extent of her self-control, and her gaze slid from his fierce expression to his bared torso. Naime had never been so close to a man who wasn’t fully clothed, outside of Ihsan while he was recovering from his burns. She had seen men without their caftans, in the fields, at the docks. But this was wholly different. He was different. A warrior, attested to by the hash-work of scars on his golden skin. Naime wondered at them, a thin one across his chest, a thicker, short line over his ribs, and a long, curved one that disappeared into his salvar. The entire expanse of her skin felt as if it were on fire. Naime cut her gaze away from his body and caught sight of the Viziers, huddled just outside the walkway that opened into the main courtyard. They were watching the two of them together, expressions pinched with suspicion. “Do you have clothes?” Naime said, appalled that she’d been so preoccupied ogling him that she hadn’t considered the fact she was lurking in an archway with a half-naked man. “I am wearing clothes,” he said. Her gaze whipped to his, and her shame deepened to see the pleased expression on his face. Of course he was aware of her attention, she had been as obvious in her staring as her handmaids had. “More clothes.” Naime tried not to sound desperate, but the weak timbre of her voice gave her away. “I do.” He reached up to swipe a hand across the back of his neck. A shower of sand fell to the stone floor between them and they both peered down. “In the future, wear them. And refrain from such inappropriate displays.” Naime managed to find some composure once she wasn’t looking at him. “What exactly do you consider an inappropriate display, Sultana?” He almost laughed, but it came out as an impatient exhale instead. “Tamar is a place of restraint and decorum, Agassi. You are more than welcome to spar with the guardsmen as long as Commander Ayan oversees it”—she pointed to Bashir—“and I would expect that you would not humiliate yourself by doing so half-clothed again. Certainly not in front of the Viziers. It will do you no favors in the Council Hall.” “Humiliate myself,” the Agassi said, his voice flat with disbelief. “It is offensive.” Naime gestured at him in a lame attempt to indicate his half-clothed state, then at the lingering Viziers. “Only in a place full of weak-bodied, self-important pacifists would sword practice count as humiliating. You find me offensive,” he said, “fine. There are few things I find more tiresome than someone who puts too much stock in pageantry and pretense. And you worship at the altar of pretense.”  

About the Author:

J.D. Evans writes science fiction and fantasy romance and is the author of the novel, Reign & Ruin. After earning her degree in linguistics, J.D. served a decade as an army officer. She once spent her hours putting together briefings for helicopter pilots and generals. Now she writes stories, tends to a tiny human, knits, sews badly, gardens, and cultivates Pinterest Fails. After a stint in Beirut, J.D. fell in love with the Levant, which inspired the setting for her debut series, Mages of the Wheel. J.D. currently resides in Raleigh, North Carolina, though she will always be a Montana girl at heart.

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Release Blitz for When Hope Ends Life Begins by Freya Barker with a Giveaway

 

Title: When Hope Ends; Life Begins 

Author: Freya Barker 
Genre: Contemporary Romance  

Release Date: January 21, 2020 

Hosted by: Buoni Amici Press, LLC.

It’s the best day of his life—the worst of hers. She left her soul behind in the dead silence of a hospital room. He is bright with hope after being so close to losing faith. One moment in time leaves their paths unavoidably entwined. An invisible connection held by one heart beating between them.

*Originally published in the Then There Was You box set.

AMAZON | APPLE BOOKS | NOOK | KOBO |

 li

Freya Barker loves writing about ordinary people with extraordinary stories. Driven to make her books about 'real' people; with characters who are perhaps less than perfect, but just as deserving of romance, thrills and chills, and their own slice of happy. A recipient of the RomCon “Reader’s Choice” Award for best first book, “Slim To None”, and Finalist for the Kindle Book Award with “From Dust”, Freya has not slowed down. She continues to add to her rapidly growing collection of published novels as she spins story after story with an endless supply of bruised and dented characters, vying for attention!

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Review for Making You Mine by Melissa Foster with a Giveaway

NEW RELEASE........
Discover the magic of New York Times bestseller Melissa Foster's writing, and see why millions of readers have fallen in love with the Bradens. 

Knox Bentley never liked the pomp and circumstance that came with being wealthy. He’d distanced himself from his pretentious family and their fortune as a young adult and found his own path to success. But even with the world at his fingertips, he realizes something is missing, and after a long stay overseas, he finally knows exactly what it is. His no-strings-attached hookups with Aubrey Stewart, an exquisite and stubbornly independent blonde, are no longer enough for him. They connect on every level, but Aubrey is a fierce businesswoman with a new movie channel on the horizon and no time for much else. She is the deal he can’t close, the precious jewel even his billions can’t buy. Now that he’s back in the States, he’s determined to show her that what they have goes beyond the bedroom and finally make her his.

Love in Bloom novels feature alpha male heroes and sexy, empowered women. They're flawed, funny, passionate, and relatable to readers who enjoy contemporary romance and women's fiction. For avid readers of the Love in Bloom series, you may have met sexy and hilarious Knox Bentley, Graham Braden's business partner, in Trails of Love, and Aubrey Stewart, one of the badass billionaire founders of the Ladies Who Write (LWW), in Anything for Love.

My Thoughts…

No strings is exactly what Aubrey thinks she has with Knox.  Until he decides that they deserve more and goes after the happy ending that he really wants, and Aubrey doesn’t know she wants.   I loved that this was a story of a guy wanting more than the girl and the guy knows just what to do to get that happy ending for them both.   I don’t always love the story of “no strings” relationships.   I want the commitment and relationship, but this is a story that I loved!   I loved that while it was “no strings” for Aubrey and Knox, they were really committed to each other.   They didn’t see other people, they thought about each other when they weren’t together, and they kept in contact between hook-ups with their everyday lives.   

The families of Aubrey and Knox are night and day to each other but the love they share with each other is shown through their actions and their words.   I wish every person could have the type of family Aubrey and Knox do.   They fight, they love, and they support even when they don’t necessarily agree with each other.   Knox has been a little more distant with his family but when he returns to the family inn he falls back into the protective brother and the love he has for his family shines through in all his actions.    When Aubrey brought Knox home to her family, I know that she has opened her heart entirely to him and wants him to fit in with the people who mean the most to her.   

Of course, in Melissa Foster's style, I was able to catch up with some of my favorite LWW (Ladies Who Write) ladies.   I love hearing what they are up to now and who they are up to it with.    

Available to buy from ...

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"Melissa Foster is synonymous with sexy, swoony, heartfelt romance!" - NYT Bestseller Lauren Blakely​

"You can always rely on Melissa Foster to deliver a story that's fresh, emotional and entertaining. Make sure you have all night, because once you start you won't want to stop reading. Every book's a winner!" - New York Times Bestselling Author Brenda Novak 

"With her wonderful characters and resonating emotions, Melissa Foster is a must-read author!" - New York Times Bestseller J. Kenner

More Bradens & Montgomerys: Pleasant Hill - Oak Falls 

EMBRACING HER HEART

Leaving New York City and returning to her hometown to teach a screenplay writing class seems like just the break Grace Montgomery needs. Until her sisters wake her at four thirty in the morning to watch the hottest guys in town train wild horses and she realizes that escaping her sisters’ drama-filled lives was a lot easier from hundreds of miles away. To make matters worse, she spots the one man she never wanted to see again—ruggedly handsome Reed Cross. 

Reed was one of Michigan’s leading historical preservation experts, but on the heels of catching his girlfriend in bed with his business partner, his uncle suffers a heart attack. Reed cuts all ties and returns home to Oak Falls to run his uncle’s business. A chance encounter with Grace, his first love, brings back memories he’s spent years trying to escape. 

Grace is bound and determined not to fall under Reed’s spell again—and Reed wants more than another taste of the woman he’s never forgotten. When a midnight party brings them together, passion ignites and old wounds are opened. Grace sets down the ground rules for the next three weeks. No touching, no kissing, and if she has it her way, no breathing, because every breath he takes steals her ability to think. But Reed has other ideas… 

The Bradens & Montgomerys are part of Melissa's Love in Bloom big-family romance collection. All Love in Bloom novels are written to stand alone and may also be enjoyed as part of the larger series, so dive right into this fun, sexy romance.

Available to buy from ...

Amazon.com   Amazon.co.uk   Barnes and Noble    KOBO    Apple   GPlay   Paperback

ANYTHING FOR LOVE

After Charlotte Sterling loses her last family member, she moves to Sterling House, her family's Colorado mountain inn, to live a solitary life. As an erotic romance writer, her days and nights are filled with passion and intrigue-even if only fictional. She loves her busy, quiet lifestyle, and she learned early on that real men can't live up to the fictional heroes she creates-until ruggedly handsome Beau Braden arrives to do some work at the inn and, for the first time in forever, she's intrigued by a real man.

Beau lost his first love years ago, and he's never let go of his guilt over her death. As he nears the anniversary of his loss, he is on the cusp of becoming the star of a home-renovation reality show. Escaping the painful memories of his past to work at the defunct old inn is just the promise of solitude he needs to clear his head before diving in to the all-too-public career. But he didn't count on being attracted to the whimsical, adorably sexy innkeeper.

Neither Charlotte nor Beau is looking for an attachment or a fling. But the more they learn about each other, the closer they become. Romantic evenings lead to intimate conversations, and neither can deny their deep connection or the passion it sparks. They've never fully healed on their own, but together maybe anything is possible. 

Available to buy from ...

Amazon.com   Amazon.co.uk   Barnes and Noble    KOBO    Apple   GPlay   Paperback

TRAILS OF LOVE

When Graham Braden travels to Oak Falls, Virginia to attend the wedding of his buddy Reed Cross to Grace Montgomery, he sticks around to help with renovations to Reed's new theater. The last thing he expects is to be asked to assess and possibly invest in Grace's sister Morgyn's business endeavor. Graham is a careful, keen businessman, and Morgyn is impulsive, disorganized, and more interested in the energy flow in her eclectic retail shop than in the accuracy of her records. While Graham isn't ready to open his pockets to the sassy, sexy business owner, he may be ready to open his heart.

The Bradens & Montgomerys are part of Melissa's Love in Bloom big-family romance collection. All Love in Bloom novels are written to stand alone and may also be enjoyed as part of the larger series, so dive right into this fun, sexy romance.

Available to buy from ...
Amazon.com   Amazon.co.uk   Barnes and Noble    KOBO    Apple   GPlay   Paperback

WILD, CRAZY HEARTS

Brindle Montgomery and Trace Jericho have been close friends forever and on-again off-again lovers for years. As rebellious as they are stubborn, they're both perfectly happy with their no-strings-attached hookups. But when Brindle returns from a trip to Paris with a baby bump, it sends Trace's wild, crazy heart into a frenzy--and Brindle is left wondering if she's made the biggest mistake of her life.

Available to buy from ...
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SEARCHING FOR LOVE - Releasing June 29th!

Knox Bentley never liked the pomp and circumstance that came with being wealthy. He’d distanced himself from his pretentious family and their fortune as a young adult and found his own path to success. But even with the world at his fingertips, he realizes something is missing, and after a long stay overseas, he finally knows exactly what it is. His no-strings-attached hookups with Aubrey Stewart, an exquisite and stubbornly independent blonde, are no longer enough for him. They connect on every level, but Aubrey is a fierce businesswoman with a new movie channel on the horizon and no time for much else. She is the deal he can’t close, the precious jewel even his billions can’t buy. Now that he’s back in the States, he’s determined to show her that what they have goes beyond the bedroom and finally make her his.

Available to pre-order from ...

Amazon.com   Amazon.co.uk   Barnes and Noble    KOBO    Apple   GPlay   Paperback

About the author

Melissa Foster is a New York Times & USA Today bestselling and award-winning author. She writes sexy and heartwarming contemporary romance and women’s fiction with emotionally compelling characters that stay with you long after you turn the last page. Melissa’s emotional journeys are lovingly erotic and always family oriented–perfect beach reads for contemporary romance and new adult romance lovers who enjoy reading about loyal, wealthy heroes and smart, sassy heroines with complex relatable issues.

Melissa also writes sweet romance under the pen name Addison Cole.

Melissa enjoys chatting with readers and book clubs. Send her an email invitation to your next event!

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Find Melissa on the following sites....

Website   Facebook   Twitter    Google+   Pinterest   Goodreads   Bookbub   Amazon Author Page

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